


When Cerb Gets Tired

by Nicnag



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-24 19:47:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20020030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicnag/pseuds/Nicnag
Summary: A landslide triggered by an earthquake causes injuries to all of Bravo, including Cerb. An 18 hour exfil is now stretching into days as Clay gets worse. Even Cerb needs a break.





	1. Chapter 1: Cerb Needs a Break

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at a chapter story. Hope I break up the sections to your liking. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

When Cerb Gets Tired

Chapter 1: Cerb Needs a Break

If Cerb gets tired, that means all the men of Bravo are past exhausted. It has been a slow, arduous mission in the foothills of whatever Godforsaken country they were dropped into this time.. Infil to Jackpot went smooth, just as planned, but an earthquake followed by a rock slide prevented the men from following their infil route back out. 

The route in was the widest, safest goat path they had seen on maps and ISR. The team was able to retrieve the drone and lap top but had to take down 35 enemy combatants. No one left the battle unscathed. Had it only been bullet grazes and knife slits, the men would have been just fine. 

The earthquake started mid fight. It helped to get the enemy distracted but it also meant Bravo didn’t have firm footing either. Chunks of plasterboard and cement rained down on the men while tile floors opened up to the lower dirt dugout where the jackpot items had been found. Boulders from up the hill took out sections of the building, rolling a few militants up in its roll down.

All of that was 2 days ago. It had only taken 18 hours to infil and retrieve jackpot. Now, 24 hours later they are only 1/3 of the way to exfil. At this rate, it will take 4 days to get out of there. It’s almost a guarantee whomever the laptop and drone were being sold to has already figured out its missing. The only path out of the village is a small dirt road, not even wide enough for a car, plus no flat area in sight for a helo. 

Ray led the way as he was the least injured. He got knocked down by a chunk of plaster that blew out from the wall as the boulder came through. His side hurts some but nothing serious. Jason had part of the ceiling fall on him, but luckily he had his helmet on. He still has a hell of a headache but the gash to his cheek didn’t need stitches. He is helping Brock by attaching Cerberus to him as Brock isn’t real steady on his feet. He took a bullet to his body armor in the ribs. None broken but already bruising. It’s hard for him to get a good breath, especially as they go up higher on the hillside. The force of the bullet knocked him back and he hit his head hard enough for a mild concussion. Sonny took a bullet to his left bicep but luckily it was a through and through. He could have been strapped to a gurney and still want to be the one who helps Clay get to the helo. 

Clay had been on over watch, higher up the hill. He literally road the crumbling hillside down through the house before getting forcefully stopped by the brick fireplace that hadn’t given way yet. His ribs were severely bruised, along with his hip. He has a concussion from hitting his head. There is a gash across his forehead then down over his eye where it continued down his cheek. He complained of pain in both shoulders, most likely from overextending himself while trying to stop his fall. He also has a knife gash running from the inside of his left thigh almost to his ankle. Sonny had tried to get to him when he crashed but took the bullet in his arm before shooting the man that was trying to filet their Rookie. 

Trent is pinballing back and forth checking on everyone except himself. He was grazed by a bullet on his upper right thigh and another graze on his right shoulder, neither needing attention more than wrapping areas in gauze at this moment. 

Clay couldn’t lift his arms to put around Sonny’s shoulders to help him walk. He couldn’t put full pressure on his left leg. His breathing was erratic from the bruised ribs. The sweat on his brow burned the cut on his face. Sonny can’t throw Clay over his shoulder due to his ribs. A 4 man litter carry wouldn’t be possible given the narrow path which was barely big enough for a single person. 

“Just leave me here, hike out and go get help, I can’t go anywhere.”

“And that’s precisely why we can’t leave you. You can’t defend yourself,” Ray told Clay as they were all getting frustrated with the situation. 

“I’ve gotten this far, just give me a rest and I can get back to hobbling.”

“You need to get pressure off that leg, anymore stress could cause permanent damage.” Trent spoke flatly. He knew they were screwed. No man was urgent needing a medevac but that won’t be the case if they have to hike it out like this for 4 more days. 

Jason frantically snapped his fingers and pointed at a downed tree, then another. Sonny was the first to figure out what their Boss had in mind. Tie two poles together and lay Clay on top, could either be pulled or held on each end. With one person in the front and one in the back, it doesn’t widen the load so they could get Clay through the path. 

“Sonny you take the back, you know the Kid, if he’s showing any signs of getting worse, you tell me.” 

“Will do Boss, I’ll watch Goldilocks,” Sonny drawled, winking at Clay who just pouted and looked away like a little kid upset he didn’t get his ice cream before dinner. Bravo needed this, they needed him, they needed his youth, they needed his vitality, they needed to be reminded they are all still human, they needed to be shown that it is possible for Bravo to work as one, not six, for the whole to be greater than the sum. 

Trent took up the front position, using a strap over his head and under his armpits to help hold Clay’s head up and Trent be able to walk forward. 

“Want me to tell you a bedtime story? Maybe then you will take a nap versus bust my balls Kid.” The Kid just smiled at the Texan, that pure genuine smile he has. Messy blonde curls blew in the breeze across his vibrant blue eyes. He tried to hide his baby face with a scruffy beard but it didn’t work. 

“I’m gonna look like Simba’s uncle Scar,” Clay joked, trying to lighten the tense mood. He hated not being able to pull his own weight. 

“Who the hell is Simba?” 

“Really Sonny? Hey, Ray,” Clay yelled. “Who is Simba?” 

Ray yelled back. “Mufasa’s son, why? You think you look like Mufasa’s brother Scar?” 

Sonny responded, “So I get Ray why you’d know a kids movie but Spenser? How the hell did you know that?” 

“Can’t forget he’s 10-15 years younger than all of us,” Jason reminded them all. 

“There aren’t a lot of Disney movies being made in Liberia so we watched whatever we got on VHS from my mom when she would send things.” No one responded as Clay trailed off, knowing the topic of his parents and his childhood was a sensitive one. 

Sonny went back to looking at Clay as he closed his eyes. His fatigues had been cut from crotch to ankle on his left leg and then haphazardly stapled back together once the wound was wrapped. Sonny noticed the young SEAL started to look green and was sweating more than he had been just moments before. 

“Trent, we need to stop.” Before Trent could get the make shift litter to the ground, Sonny had Clay unstrapped and his body on his side while the young man threw up everything he had eaten in the last 24 hours. Trent was in his face immediately. 

“What changed?” 

“I got a headache, got dizzy. My arms are hurting more. My gash itches something fierce.” To outsiders, it would sound like Clay was complaining about every little issue, but that’s what Trent wants. You have a paper cut, he needs to know. After going round and round pinpointing what else could be going on, the group restarted their trek. They hadn’t gone more than 5 minutes before Sonny bellowed to Trent to put him down. 

Everything from the last 48 hours had now resurfaced. Clay was starting to look ashen and said his leg was really hot and itchy. Sonny pulled out the staples while Trent used his head lamp to see better. The gauze was soaked in blood. Yeah, it should be bloody but not seeping like this anymore. Itching and heat usually means infection. The infection would account for the headache and dizzy feeling. It could also not be related and just be a headache and dizziness from his tumble. 

“He needs blood and we need to stop this bleeding.” Trent told the group. Jason got the IV kit out and started a line while Trent unwrapped the gauze. Brock sat next to Clay with his hand on his good leg. Brock was the second worst off and was thankful for the rest, but not at Clay’s expense. Cerb laid right between the two, watching over her two favorite SEALs, glad for a break. The punishing foothills had wreaked havoc on her pads wearing them through.

When Trent finished unwrapping Clay’s leg, there was a collective gasp. There were pockets of infection dotting the gash, pockets of puss and blood. It took everything Jason had in him not to vomit all that he had eaten in the last 48 hours as well. 

“What the hell Trent? Didn’t look like this yesterday,” Jason griped. 

“I told you infection sets in fast. At least now I know what is causing the other symptoms.” Jason told Ray and Sonny to set up watch while Trent works on Clay, who is visibly in more distress than he had been even moments before. Clay tried to pull away from Trent as he pulled out the hydrogen peroxide bottle, all 6 of them knowing what that meant. 

“Sonny, I will take watch, you sit with the Kid.” Jason knew that having Sonny at Clay’s side would be more beneficial than himself as the two had grown close over the last year. You’d never know it if you didn’t know the team. 

“Fuck Trent!” Clay tried to keep his mouth shut, not wanting to draw any attention to their location in case they had militants tracking them, but he couldn’t. The searing pain brought tears to his eyes, which rolled back into his head as he fought through the burning in his leg. Sonny put the Rookie’s head in his lap and had one hand clutching Clay’s and the other smoothing his sweaty bangs off his forehead. 

“Damn Trent, he’s hot.” Trent gave Sonny a desperate look, which didn’t go unnoticed by Brock or Sonny. 

“What can I do?” Brock asked as he turned towards Clay. 

“I need you to sit and rest…..and hold Clay’s hand,” Trent told him, knowing Brock needed to feel like he was doing something. He reached for Clay’s other hand and held it tight. Brock felt like his world was spinning too but he didn’t have a 2 foot knife wound to go with it. 

“One more time Clay, then I can finish cleaning it and rewrap it, okay?” By this time, Clay was out of it in pain. He felt like a limp ragdoll tossed over Sonny’s legs. He barely flinched as Trent finished pouring the liquid over his leg. After drying the leg off, Trent rewrapped it plus put an ace bandage over it for extra protection. 

“Morphine?” Sonny asked, obviously upset how bad off Clay was. 

“Yeah, give him one, no make that two. It would be best if we could get him to rest.” Sonny didn’t hesitate as he took the morphine from Trent’s outstretched hand. He jabbed the needle into Clay’s good leg, waited a few seconds, and then repeated it with the second vial. 

“Boss, we got a problem. Path narrows up ahead, I can’t get through with my gear on.” Ray told the group. 

“Ray, you and I will scout east and west from the narrowing, take 5 minutes and meet back where we break off. See if we have another choice.” 

“Roger that.”  
Jason didn’t like sending anyone out alone but Clay and Brock couldn’t help, Trent needed to monitor each man and Sonny would have to be dead to get him away from Clay when Clay was hurt. Of course he could order Sonny to leave him, but Clay is the calmest when the brash Texan is around. Jason thought to himself how just a year ago, Sonny was complaining he had been told to watch out for the Kid on deployment. Jason never expected the two to become friends, let alone spend time together while not working. 

Actually, no one on the team could have imagined the changes that have come since adding Spenser. Jason wasn’t for drafting Clay but his team kept telling him that he needed to take Clay. They all knew he was the best choice tactically, but Jason was concerned about his attitude, about how he didn’t seem to understand that in a team you have to work together. Not only did Brian, Clay’s late friend who died in a training exercise, start to show him how to help others, he had given Clay the first real friend he had ever had. Jason hadn’t known their bond was that deep so he made a point to bring up how devastated Clay had been when Brian died, using it as a weakness on the tally board of whether to draft the Kid or not. 

Regardless of what the other members wanted, it was ultimately Jason’s decision. Had Clay not been a strap on an earlier mission, Jason wouldn’t have been able to see how Clay operated in a real life situation. Once he had calmed down about Clay killing Abu Samir and realized anyone on his team would have made the same decision of leaving the tunnel and taking down a man with an S vest, he began watching the Kid as he finished his Green Team training. 

Trent had squeezed a bag of fluid into Clay and switched to the bag of blood he had with him. He also gave Clay a dose of IV antibiotics. By the time Ray and Jason got back, the blood was almost in and Clay’s color looked better. He had either passed out from pain or fallen asleep from the morphine. Trent didn’t care which one at this point when he heard the pathways were worse than the way they were already going. 

“One of us will have to carry him about ¼ mile til we reach a wider path. We can’t turn with those poles in a few spots.” Ray reported. 

“Well shit! I shouldn’t have given him the morphine because the bit he could have held on, he won’t now, at least for half an hour,” Trent replied, answering the question he knew would be the first one Jason asked. 

“He can’t hold on anyhow, not with his shoulders hurt.” As the 5 racked their brains trying to figure out what to do, TOC crackled in their ears. The comms had been in and out the entire mission and they hadn’t been able to establish a connection since they had stopped almost an hour ago now. 

“Bravo 1, be advised, there are 3 technical’s just outside of the village with 12 men walking towards target house. They appear to be fighting age males with guns.” 

“Copy that TOC.” 

“Sitrep Bravo One.” 

“Slow going, Bravo 6 is immobile, used a pole litter but path narrows, need to devise a new plan to get him out of here.” Jason reported. 

“Bravo 4, has his condition changed?” 

“TOC this is Bravo 4. 6 now has a fever and visible infection of knife wound. Cleaned, medicated and rewrapped. Antibiotics and pain meds given. Unable to use a litter, no fireman carry due to his bruised ribs as we can’t risk them breaking, can’t use his arms for piggyback due to overextended shoulder pain and he’s currently unconscious.” Trent braced himself for what he knew was coming next. 

“Unconscious? What the hell happened since you reported last?! I thought he was okay, banged up but okay.” Blackburn spat out of frustration and concern. 

“He developed an infection, had to clean with hydrogen peroxide and gave pain meds, either passed out or meds made him sleep.” Everyone in TOC cringed when Trent relayed what he had to do to Clay for the infection. 

“Copy Bravo 4, keep us updated, TOC out.” 

“So I guess I’m carrying him over the threshold then, huh?” Sonny remarked while watching their Rookie, whose color had started to pink up from the fluids and blood. 

“We will take turns, it’s the hardest way to carry but it’s our only option right now.” Trent locked off the IV and as Sonny lifted Clay, he stirred. His eyes went wide, startled to see himself as close to Sonny as he was. 

“Looks like we just got married,” Sonny teased as he held his teammate in his arms like a groom would his bride. 

“I can walk,” Clay sputtered but didn’t attempt to move. He knew whatever they did for him made him feel less awful but he still wasn’t in any condition to get to exfil on his own. Oddly, Clay felt comfortable in his teammates arms. He could let his guard down knowing this team would do anything to keep him safe and get him back to exfil. 

His shoulders throbbed which he knew would be worse in the days to come as soreness set in. His head ached making him nauseous. His ribs were tender, especially where Sonny’s arm was holding him. His leg felt like someone had turned it inside out. He knew he had a fever but he was chilled. Sonny could feel him shivering. 

After several stops to switch who was carrying Clay, darkness had begun to fall. It was too dangerous, despite NODs, to keep going. Ray took first watch as the men made camp. Clay was chilled to the bone even though he was sweating. His temp was up to 101.5 so Trent gave him a stronger antibiotic and another bag of fluids. His bleeding seemed to have let up. 

Sonny couldn’t bear to watch the Kid shiver so he pulled him back into his arms after taking off most of his gear. Sonny positioned him just like he had been while walking. He set Clays rear between his legs and pulled him close, his left side to Sonny’s chest. Sonny wrapped his muscular arms around Clay, holding him close in hopes to warm him up with his own body heat. He unconsciously rocked Clay as he had a hand on the side of Clays face holding him against his shoulder while his chin rested on top of the Kid’s head. The others hadn’t missed the quick kiss Sonny had given Clay on the top of his curly blonde mop he called hair. 

Sonny had seen a lot of suffering and pain during his time in the NAVY but for some reason he couldn’t identify, it hurt him more when it was Clay. Trent let out an exasperated sigh when TOC gave him the weather report. It was going to be colder than last night and they couldn’t risk a fire, even a small one, since the enemy was already heading their way on the hillside. They had 2 days on them so unless they grew wings or Bravo stayed put, they should be fine. However, it was unknown what all the militants had at their disposal. If they located their exact spot, the enemy may have weapons that could reach them by air. 

Trent spoke up. “Sonny, Jason strip down, he needs skin to skin contact to warm up.”


	2. Slumber Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will exfil get to the team in time to save Clay? Exfil's are routine, often deemed safe, but what happens if it isn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter, hope you like the direction this story is going after chapter 1

When Cerb Gets Tired

Chapter 2: Slumber Party

Trent spoke up. “Sonny, Jason strip down, he needs skin to skin contact to warm up.

“I will take him first, let me get situated,” Jason told the group. Brock pulled out two thin blankets from his gear and Trents. They each carried one for multiple reasons and uses. Jason had already stripped off his gear. Next he removed his shirt, his muscles rippling from use. After he removed his pants down to his boxers, he laid down on the blanket Brock had laid on the ground, ready to accept Clay. 

By this point, Clay didn’t care what had to be done, he just wanted to warm up and feel less pain. His mind was groggy from the meds and the fever. He tried to keep Trent and Sonny from undoing his belt buckle but he was too weak. “Hey Pretty Boy, it’s just me and Trent. We need to get you warmed up.” When Clay heard those words from Sonny, he stopped fighting them. 

His muscular body looked like a sack of potatoes as he was maneuvered onto the sheet in front of Jason. His normally taught muscles were limp. His shoulders both looked swollen and the bruising on his midsection had gotten worse.

Clay laid on his side as Jason laid behind him. Jason put one arm under Clay’s head to help prop it up off the ground while his other arm was over Clay’s upper body pulling the Rookie’s back to Jason’s front. Jason twisted his lower half so his hips let him put his thigh over Clay’s, providing as much warmth as possible. Brock spread the second sheet over the two grown men in boxers as they got comfortable. Sonny gave up his sheet as well laying it over the two. 

Just a few hours into the night, Jason told Trent that Clay was still shivering. Without hesitation, Sonny stripped down to his boxers, the scar on his left midsection prominent on his body. He laid down in front of Clay with his back to Clay’s chest. He pulled Clays arm over his midsection and held it down by putting his own arm over the Kids. He held Clay’s hand against his chest, trying to warm his fingers up. Sonny could feel Clay’s cool shallow breathing n his neck. 

Trent hit the kid with another shot of pain meds, more to keep him quiet and asleep. Jason wondered to himself what other DEVGRU Tier One Assault Team would do this for one of their men? Yeah they all do what they can for each other, but an almost naked slumber party on the side of a hill while in country on a mission? That may be where some teams drew the line. 

Jason ran his hand up and down Clay’s upper arm trying to keep him warm. He kissed the back of Clay’s head, not sure what else to do to comfort him. He was cool in just his boxers but he knew he wasn’t hurting like Clay. Sonny flipped over partway through the night and wrapped Clay in a hug, which inevitably included Jason. Jason reached over Clay to Sonny, keeping their youngest team member in between them. Clay sighed and then mumbled “I’m good,” which the team figured meant he was warming up. If anyone came across this team at this moment, they would surely be confused. 

By morning, Clay’s temp had risen to 102.6 and Trent was running out of antibiotics. This was only to be a couple day trip. He always packed for extra time but it was now double the time they had planned for exfil and they were barely 2/3 of the way. Jason held Clay from behind as they sat on the ground, keeping him in an upright position. Sonny and Ray worked together to get Clay into his pants and shirt. He was sweaty and clammy, moaning in pain. His gash was swollen and hot to the touch. Trent had poured an antibiotic gel over it hoping the lidocaine would help a bit. Clay couldn’t lift his arms above waist height without pain. His headache was getting worse as he was too nauseous to take in water or food. Trent habitually checked his ribs to make sure none had broken which could puncture his lung. The situation wasn’t dire yet, but it would be by that afternoon. 

With ¼ of the distance to go, night time was falling. Ray and Trent were beginning to take up the positions Jason and Sonny did the night before until Trent saw the red streaking up Clay’s leg onto his abdomen and around his sides. 

“Shit! Jace we need to get out of here now.” Jason knew if Trent was calling him Jace then things just went sideways. As soon as the others turn to see what has increased Trent’s concern, Clay dry heaved. The last bit of water the men had gotten Clay to drink came up. His entire body shook as he heaved. Trent gave him a shot of pain meds just to get him to stop.

Clay looked ashen again and Trent knew he was bleeding more. It had to be internally. The force of the hit to the fireplace on his descent from over watch must have nicked something. The blood loss plus the infection was a deadly combination. 

Now that the infection was running rampant in his blood stream, introducing more blood through a transfusion would be a risk. However, Clay could be worse off if he doesn’t get an infusion. Either way, Trent only had one bag of blood on him. The only one who could donate to him was Sonny but with the enemy still heading their way, it was a risk to put one of them down and out, too weak to help defend themselves or help with Clay. Jason could see Trents internal struggle, trying to figure out a way to save his teammate without having to make a deal with the devil. 

Clay ripped at his shirt, struggling to free himself of his clothing as he was hot. Trent let Jason help him take his shirt off. His skin was no longer glistening from sweat, he was dry, bone dry. All of the men knew that wasn’t good. Despite the fluids, the blood loss and infection were making him dehydrated. His normally bright blue orbs were dull and wandering, not making eye contact with Jason as he tried to hold him close to him, to comfort him. 

Clay continued to be restless in Jason’s arms so Sonny sat down next to them. As soon as Sonny reached out and put his hand on the younger SEALs face, Clay leaned into him. It was as if he had melted. He was practically on top of Sonny at this point. Sonny held the Kid close to him, quietly whispering into his ear that he was okay, he was safe and they were going to get him home. Sonny could feel Clay’s dry skin radiating heat. Just 12 hours ago they were trying to warm him up. 

Brock and Ray poured water over two rags then placed one around Clays neck and the other Sonny held to Clay’s forehead. Clay shuddered from the cold sting of the water but didn’t back away from the rags. Jason walked a few steps away and radioed TOC. 

“Blackburn, we need air lift for 6, tell us where to get him so he can be lifted out with Trent.” 

“Bravo One, this is TOC. There are no resources at this time able to air lift 6 out. Go to backchannel.” Jason knew that was code for the channel that no one but he and Eric had access to. 

“Jason, how bad is it?”

“Bad, getting worse. The infection is spreading, we can see it, he’s burning up but dry, he has a fever, he’s dry heaving, he’s barely conscious. He needs blood but Trent thinks it may speed up the infection but without blood he may not make it. Trent doesn’t have the antibiotics he needs.” 

“It’s 12 hours to the LZ if you travel at the pace you have been. You don’t think he can make it?” 

“I know we can’t make it, not in the dark, it’s too risky up here even with NODs. It’s already been almost 72 hours. We aren’t going to lose him over 12 hours. We can’t watch him suffer like this if there is something that can be done. Do what you can or we he may not make it. Bravo one out.”

Lisa could see the fear in Eric’s eyes and the tension in his body language. He quickly left the room and slumped down the wall outside the door. He ran his hands down his face, both trying to take in the sitrep as well as keep himself awake. He had barely slept in the last 72 hours. Eric had been faced with many life or death situations in his NAVY career, and he will continue to be until he retires, but with this team, with Bravo since Clay joined, he had let himself get too invested in their lives. 

He knew now that a team needed to be this close to do the things they’ve done, but it came at a steep price. If the team lost Clay, he didn’t think Bravo could go on being a team without the Kid. He knew Jason would consider getting out, taking on Green Team now that Adam had passed. Ray would follow him, just like he does as Bravo 2. Sonny would most likely self destruct. Neither Brock or Trent wanted to be Bravo 1 and if they weren’t reassigned to the same team, they both would probably opt to get out, Brock taking Cerb with him. He knew he couldn’t let this happen. ‘Think’ he thought to himself as he tried to come up with a way to get to Clay faster. 

“That’s it!” 

Eric got up from the floor as fast as his tired and stressed body would allow before he burst back into the room. 

“Davis, how far out are the tangos?” 

“Half the distance behind Bravo, at their pace 2 days behind them.” 

“Did they find a way to get their vehicles through the hillside?” 

“No, Sir. They are still at the collapsed building.” 

“Exact distance?”

“5.3k.” 

“Get me QRT, they can hover long enough to pull 6 out, if not all of them. An RPG wouldn’t reach them and with no threat of a DshKa, even if they do see the helo, the tangos can’t get to it.” 

“Sir, we don’t have QRT on stand by.” 

“Why the hell not?”

“They answered a TIC call, rerouted after the morning sitrep when Clay wasn’t urgent.” 

“Whats the closest resource?” 

“I can get a helo from base, will take 40 minutes, won’t have a medic aboard, flight here will be 25 minutes. If we wait for a medevac, it will be at least 3 hours.”

“Damnit,” Eric cursed as he picked up the phone. 

“Bravo 4 this is TOC.” 

“Go for 4.” Eric laid out the options and let Trent decide, even though he felt guilty putting the decision on him. 

“Order the helo from base. Get them all out of there.” Before Eric had even finished, Lisa was already on the phone. 

“Sir, do we want a rescue basket for Clay?” Eric got on the phone and asked Trent, who told him negative, the landscape wouldn’t allow for it. They will clip him to one of them.

40 minutes seemed like days to Clay. To his team, it felt like an eternity. Having to watch a teammate suffer was gut wrenching. There was nothing they could do and for a team of operators, that was beyond hard. Even though Sonny’s shoulder was throbbing, he knew Clay was far worse off. He held the younger teammate in his arms the entire wait and refused to let anyone take Clay from him, even when the helo had arrived. 

Jason knew Ray was in the better condition and he could have ordered Sonny to give Clay up, but he knew Clay felt more comfortable with Sonny which would be beneficial as he dangled from a rope hundreds of feet in the air with no control over himself, just the man he is clipped to. Sonny clipped in trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. Ray and Jason had to hold Clay up on his feet to get him clipped to Sonny. Sonny engulfed him in a bear hug and had the guys place Clay’s legs over his. The men in the helo hauled the two as quickly as they could into the aircraft then sent the rope back down. 

Up next was Trent so he could tend to Clay. Trent and Sonny put Clay between them as Trent grabbed what little medical supplies the helo had onboard and started to get Clay as comfortable as he could for the flight to base. He ran the nasal canula over his ears and cinched it in place. Next he sliced his clothes completely off minus his boxers. They would have to come off at the hospital but wanted to spare him his dignity on the helo if he could. He attached a heart monitor as Sonny attached a blood pressure cuff to the rookie. Next Trent hooked up the bag of fluids to Clay then gave it to Sonny to squeeze in. Finally Trent gave Clay another dose of pain meds, despite being concerned about his respiratory status. They couldn’t risk him being agitated while on the helo. 

By the time Trent settled back on his heels having done everything he could, Jason was pulled into the helo by Ray and the men on board. Cerb had taken up “watch” over Brock and Clay, laying at their feet. Ray had maneuvered Brock next to Clay so Trent didn’t have to move. He took the second, and last, bag of fluid and started an IV on Brock. With his concussion, he had been nauseous and wasn’t drinking like he should. He slipped a pain med in his IV as well, something Brock never wanted if he had Cerb with him, but Cerb was safe with the rest of the team so Trent took liberty. 

Just as Trent sat down, he noticed Sonny doubled over in pain. He knew his pain wasn’t anymore severe than it had been, but now that Clay was safe in the helo, he was feeling the repercussions of being shot. All of the men despised pain meds since it affected their ability to remain clear, but Sonny was the worst. He knew pain meds and alcohol don’t mix and would much rather be drunk than high, but given that a cold beer wouldn’t be coming his way while at Base, Trent reached over and stuck him with the morphine. When he didn’t even acknowledge the shot, Trent knew he was in more pain than he had suspected.

Trent looked around and saw that Ray and Jason were starting to look like Sonny. He wanted to tell them to suck it up, not to let their adrenalin crash just yet as they hadn’t touched down, but he had begun to feel the pain from his 2 wounds as well. He was out of morphine but they were only 5 minutes from base. He couldn’t falter now. He had to be on his game until he got Clay, and the rest of his team, into the base hospital and conferred with the doctors. 

Just as they were hovering over the helo pad about 30 feet in the air, there was a loud CRACK! It was followed by an explosion, then intense heat as the helo nose dived into the ground.


	3. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3: Aftermath  
> The helo began to shudder and shake, making a nose dive into the helo pad. An entire wounded Bravo team is on board having just been rescued from a dire situation. Now, they are put right back into one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I only had enough material to write 3 chapters but due to inspiration with what I had left, I now have a 4th chapter.

When Cerb Gets Tired  
Chapter 3: Aftermath

Just as they were hovering over the helo pad about 30 feet in the air, there was a loud CRACK! It was followed by an explosion, then intense heat as the helo nose dived into the ground. All of the men were thrown forward. The tail of the helo had caught fire. Those waiting for the helo to land all stared in disbelief until the rotors ground into helo pad and were no longer a threat. Several men raced forward with fire extinguishers as others ran to help the men inside. 

Ray and Jason had managed to get out of the bird and were pulling Brock from the wreckage by the time help reached them. Trent had been stunned. He still lay in a heap against one of the crew members. He could feel someone grab his arms then someone grabbed his legs and pulled him away from the intense heat before his world went dark. 

When Trent came to, he was on a gurney in the hallway of the base hospital. As soon as his eyes opened, Jason was at his side. Before he had a chance to say anything, his team leader spoke. “The team is okay, not much worse for the wear except for someburns. Had it happened any higher up….” Trent let Jason trail off, neither wanting to think about what could have happened. 

When Jason found his voice again, he told Trent “you knocked your head into the pilots seat, they stitched you up, said you have a concussion. Most of us do, along with some first and second degree burns.” Trent reached up to feel the stitches on his forehead but stopped when he saw both of his forearms wrapped in gauze. “Just some minor cuts, didn’t want them to get infected.” Trent blew out a sigh of relief. 

The first shaky word Trent said was “Clay?” as Jason knew it would be. “He sustained second degree burns on his shoulders and biceps bilaterally. We tried to get him out faster, but we couldn’t see through the smoke.” Trent could tell Jason was more upset that he couldn’t get to Clay than about the crash itself.

Jason had to sit down as his mind took him back to just a few hours ago on the helo pad. He felt the shudder, then the descent, then the impact all the while smelling smoke and seeing fire. He didn’t lose consciousness but he was dazed, taking him an extra moment to realize he needed to get his guys off the helicopter. 

He came to realize the panic Clay must have gone through when he rescued Jason from the helicopter crash they had been in prior to this mission, however he had been knocked out whereas Clay was still alert, his eyes wild as he tried to move away from the fire. Jason had never seen that kind of fear in his eyes. All of the men, if they were to die while operating, wanted to go out in a ‘blaze of glory,’ not like this, not a slow fade into oblivion. 

Jason’s breathing picked up. Faster and faster he felt his heart beat as he relived the image over and over. He began to rub his palm on his thigh, a tell tale sign that he was experiencing something he had no control over. Trent was with it enough to help him through the panic attack. Jason has had these episodes before but he refused to believe they were fear induced. 

The faster he breathed, the faster he rubbed his palm. The faster he rubbed his palm, the faster his heart beat until he felt himself getting light headed. He could hear Trent trying to get him to slow his breathing, counting out the breaths but he was far too gone. Jason was barely aware when he slumped down in the chair and heard Trent struggling to free himself of the bed rails to get to Jason. By the time he did, Jason was on the floor in a heap, limp and clammy. 

“I need a doctor over here,” Trent shouted down the hallway as he held onto his team leader. He was still breathing, but unconscious as Trent juggled him between his arms despite the pain. A nurse dashed in and assisted Trent off the floor so they could slide Jason around to get his feet propped up on the chair he had just fallen out of. 

“Come on Jason, don’t do this to me. Wake up,” Trent urged as he lightly tapped his cheek. He knew he needed to tamp down his panic, but given the entire situation and his own condition, he prayed to Ray’s God to bring Jason back to consciousness. A male orderly and doctor entered the room and they lifted Jason’s feet above his heart, hoping to restore blood flow to wake him up. Trent gently placed Jason’s head in his lap as he tapped harder on his cheek while gently shaking his shoulder with his other hand. 

“You need to lay down,” the doctor sharply directed to Trent. “Lay down before you pass out too.” 

“I’m not leaving him, not til he wakes up.” 

“Then lay down beside him,” the doctor told Trent, this time less harshly knowing that SEALs never leave a down man. Trent realized he had been breathing shallowly during his state of distress watching Jason pass out. He knew his heart rate was picking up so he did what the doctor ordered. He slid up right next to Jason, his shoulder touching his leaders. The orderly put a pillow under his head like he had done for Jason when Trent took his head off his lap. Trent kept his eyes on Jason, though. In what seemed like hours but was mere moments, Jason started to open his eyes. When he rolled his head towards the pressure against his shoulder, he realized he was literally shoulder to shoulder with his medic. He only looked surprised for a second before putting back on his mask of indifference. He knew what had just happened, but didn’t want to admit it. Trent didn’t say a word, chosing to wait til a private time to discuss a matter that wasn’t going away on its own.

“What the hell happened in here?” Jason and Trent both propped themselves up on their elbows and turned their heads to see Brock standing in the doorway. When neither answered him, he looked to the hospital staff, but none of them had been in the room when Jason went down. They knew he passed out, but they weren’t sure what preceded it. Jason looked away from Brock and asked if the three men could have the room. They were hesitant to leave them, but relented.   
“I ask again, What the f*** happened?” Brock was clearly upset, not sure if from anger or from concern as the two men struggled to get up at the same time, causing the chair they both had their feet on to topple over. As Brock righted the chair and the two on the floor helped each other up, Jason cleared his throat. 

“I passed out.” 

“What the f*** for?” Trent interjected that Jason had hit his head harder than he thought. Brock knew Trent wasn’t telling him the whole truth but now wasn’t the time to pry. 

“Clay is out of surgery,” Brock informed Jason and Trent. 

“Surgery? What happened?” 

Brock, clearly still upset retorted, “he was in a helicopter crash,” before he walked out of the room expecting the other two to follow. Follow they did, but slowly. Jason held onto the railing along the wall while Trent held onto Jason’s other arm. To anyone else, it looked like Trent was helping Jason, but in reality, they were both helping each other. 

As they rounded the corner to the waiting room, Trent was shocked by what he saw. Ray was on the floor, legs spread out in front of him and his head bowed down in prayer. He listed to the side a bit, obvious his ribs were still causing him pain. Both hands were bandaged from first and second degree burns. He had been able to jump clear before the helo landed, escaping any injury. It was when he went back into the helo to get his team members that he burned his hands. 

Sonny was shirtless but most of his upper body was bandaged, making a shirt pointless. Only his right shoulder and bicep were visible. He leaned against the wall on his good side, his head down. Not only did he have the through and through to his shoulder, he had metal imbedded in his left side from the crash. While he didn’t need surgery to remove the shards, it was still painful. 

Brock had taken a seat so his world would stop spinning. He had offered to update Trent and Jason not knowing the short walk would make him more nauseous than he already was. He was pretty sure he didn’t have anything left in his stomach but he didn’t want to find out. 

Even Cerb hadn’t gone unscathed. She had been laying between Brock and Clay then catapulted forward when the nose hit the pad. Her front right leg had been singed as she nosed Brock, trying to get him off the helo faster. Brock knows Cerb will be sore tomorrow.

Eric had choppered in following the crash, needing to see his men in person. He sat next to Brock with a worried expression on his face. His tone was devoid of emotion, as if he had used up every ounce of it in the last several hours. 

“Spenser’s slow bleed was from his spleen. Had the helo not gone down, it may have resolved itself. Doctors suspect it jarred the already damaged organ. They had to remove a small part of it. Said it will be fine. Have him on heavy duty antibiotics via IV, along with fluids and blood. He has a concussion, bruised ribs, burns on his shoulders and biceps.” 

Jason flinched at the last comment, even though he knew the other injuries were by far more severe. Jason had watched the flames dance across Clay as they engulfed the helo. Before Jason even knew he was going to be sick, Eric had grabbed the waste basket. Not much came up, mostly dry heaving. No one knew what was playing in his head, although each of them surely had their own horrific reel. 

Eric sighed heavily as he put his hand on Jason’s shoulder. Ray offered Jason his water, which he gladly accepted to rinse his mouth out. As soon as Trent knew Jason was done, he took a chair. As he slowly lowered himself, he was now acutely aware of his bullet grazes. It was like the pain amplified. He knew it was an adrenalin crash but he was helpless to stop it. Eric recognized it though and left Jason to put his hand on Trent’s shoulder. 

“Doctors said if you hadn’t done what you did, Clay wouldn’t have survived the first 24 hours. You did good.” It was all Eric needed to say to reassure him all would eventually be okay, hopefully. While Clay was defying the odds, he still had an infection which had already started to ravage his body. 

As soon as the team could, they all traipsed to Clay’s room. Eric had never seen his team this bad off before. Sure, they had all taken their lumps, but never at the same time like this. He held back as he watched each man take in the sight of the Rookie. Ray reached him first, bowing his head in prayer then patting his shoulder before moving out of the way for the others. Trent helped Brock steady himself after Cerb pulled on his lead. Cerb had her nose under Clay’s limp hand. He was still unconscious due to meds from surgery. Brock patted Cerb reassuring him that Clay would be alright. Trent wondered if he was trying to reassure himself. Trent let his fear finally show as he whispered “Quit scaring us Kid.” Jason could see Sonny was having a hard time so he went to Clay’s bedside first. He swept the mop of curls back frm Clay’s face, taking in how young he looked. In a barely audible whisper, Jason told Clay. “we need you, Kid.” 

Everyone stepped back as Sonny made his way over. Sonny was known to be a loose cannon, always unpredictable. The larger than life Texan who never failed at having something to say felt a lump form in his throat. Only other time he had felt that was when his Grandninny passed away. Sonny blinked rapidly, desperately trying to keep the tears of both concern and relief from running down his cheeks. He covered Clays hand in both of his, thankful he was warm and alive, not cold and dead. Voice thick with emotion, Sonny sniffed “I would carry you anytime, anywhere you need. I got ya Scar.” The men had a good laugh over Eric’s confused look when the Lion King was mentioned. 

“Wouldn’t he be Simba in this situation?” Eric asked, still perplexed.

“On exfil, he said he looked like Scar with the gash on his face,” Ray explained, a smile still on his face.

Eric was familiar with the movie as he had watched it dozens of times with his own kids. As he looked at this rough and tumble team of men he led, he would categorize the characters differently. Scar would be reserved for the terrorist they are hunting down. Jason of course would be Mufasa. He had been on the team longest and groomed his men into the top tier assault team it is. As much as Jason tries to deny it, he’s more like a father to Clay than his brother, making Clay Simba. It would seem like Pumbaa would be the obvious choice for Sonny, but in reality, he watches over Clay like Sarabi watches over Simba. He would tear apart anyone who threatened his cub. Trent and Brock would be Timon and Pumbaa. Timon is known for his loyalty to his friend, the same way Brock (and Cerb) are loyal to Trent. Bravery is Pumbaa’s greatest trait, even when in danger. He has to protect his friends, especially Timon. The character of Rafiki would fall to Ray. Ray has the uncanny ability to make every event a teachable moment, helping the team learn from their past. Ray is also the most spiritual of the group, but unlike Rafiki, there are times when even he doubts his faith.

The Bravo culture isn’t for everyone. Actually, its for very few, but a Lion Pride would be a great way to describe it. As much as Eric wanted to savor this feel-good moment, something they rarely get, he knew he had to start organizing the teams way back to the base they have been operating out of. With resources already spread thin and few modes of transportation even available, he knew he would have to save his strength for when Jason refuses to put Clay on a helicopter. Eric let out a weary sigh and decided he needed another minute present in this moment. He wanted to file this picture away so when he looked back on his life in the Navy after he gets out, he can recall being the leader of the best assault team the Navy has ever had.

When a minute had passed, Eric steeled himself, ready for any and all reactions from his men.


	4. Cerb Gets to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A helo flight is the only obstacle the team must overcome to get back to their base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to get this last chapter up quickly as I have a story I've been working on for over a year that recently sparked my interest again.

Chapter 4: Cerb Gets to Rest

“We got off the mountain.” It was such a simple statement but it caused so much relief. Clay could hear his entire team exhale. It was like a light switch had been turned off before the team was rescued and just now came back on. Although he was conscious for parts of it, he didn’t remember, yet. The team hoped those memories don’t come back to him. Jason had woken up several times the last two nights from the same nightmare. In his dream he couldn’t get to Clay. As hard as he tried, as much smoke as he took in, as much heat his body registered he continued to reach out for the Kid. His grasp wasn’t tight enough as Clay’s hand slipped through Jason’s each time. The first time he was startled awake, he raced to Clay’s room from their temporary barracks just to make sure Clay was really alive. 

It was like a living hell though as he fought sleep. Being awake meant he kept replaying the look of terror in Clay’s eyes as he couldn’t free himself from the carnage. Jason knew that part was real, a scene he can’t just shake off. Even as the master of compartmentalizing, he was struggling to separate those emotions from actuality now that the team was safe. He wasn’t sure whether being awake or being asleep was less horrifying.

Sonny was already at Clay’s side when he woke. The Texan had taken the recliner and pushed it up near the head of the bed backwards so when he laid back, he could watch Clay. He hadn’t taken his hand off Clay’s the entire time he was in the room, which was most of the last 24 hours. Jason had to order Sonny to the barracks for a hot shower and a hot meal. Ray had taken him to make sure he did as he was told. In truth, Sonny would never disobey a direct order, but he would bend the order if he could when it came to Clay.

On the fast paced walk to the shower house, Sonny was overcome with emotion, much like he had when Clay had been shot center mass. It was the night Adam died. Sonny had lost brothers before but that time, but it was different that night. Different, how? It was that night that Sonny let himself look forward to the future. He was always in the present trying to control that exact moment, never thinking about the next. It wasn’t til Clay was shot that the brash shock collar thought of what his team would be like without Clay. That hit him hard in the gut, twisting his insides. He had already been overbearingly protective of their youngest team member, but it became more imperative after that. It did for all the guys. 

Sonny suspected it was because Clay was so young. Never had a team member been as young as Clay. Sonny had never mourned the loss of their future when a teammate died in combat, but Sonny had allowed Clay to get close to him. He doesn’t know how given all the walls he puts up to protect himself from feelings, but he did nonetheless.

For most men, becoming a Tier One operator was the pinnacle of their career, which meant team guys were much grayer in their hair. Sonny saw the future team leader of Bravo as Clay’s pinnacle. Sonny wouldn’t just mourn the loss of life, he would mourn all that Clay still wanted to give to his country. He had climbed the ranks faster than anyone in history so having such a young team member never crossed his mind. He sees a man who has just begun to live. He sees a man that was so focused on his end goal that he hadn’t let himself live. Now that he had been on Bravo for over a year, Sonny had started to pull Clay out, show him how to be an operator but still enjoy life.

Clay didn’t want a life of strippers and drunken nights, but he appreciated what Sonny was trying to do for him. Clay knew that Sonny didn’t want that kind of life either as much as he tried to convince himself, and others, that he did. Truth is, Sonny hadn’t known what he wanted. He’d never allowed himself to look past the here and now. In the last year though, he had started to wonder what his future had in store for him. He dreamed about living next door to his best friend, both married with kids and a dog.

Sonny knew that Ray didn’t just accompany Sonny to make sure he actually followed the order. He knew there was something Ray wanted to discuss, something the entire team had avoided talking about once they were told Clay would be cleared to go back to base in the morning. It wasn’t until Ray and Sonny had their meals, along with several more, in their hands before Ray decided to broach the topic.

“Sonny, you know there are only two ways to get back to base.” When Sonny didn’t respond, Ray continued on.

“It’s a 6 hour trip by truck and even if he weren’t injured, you know that trip would be rough.”

“We’ve made longer,” Sonny shot back.

“You do know that the trip would be extremely taxing on him, putting him in more pain and misery.” Ray hated making Sonny feel guilty, but he didn’t know what else to say. What Sonny said next caught Ray off guard.

“It ain’t about how he gets back to base, it’s about being split up. If I’m not there, I can’t get to him if he needs me.” Sonny looked up willing the tears to stay put, but one trickled down his cheek. Ray stopped his forward motion to stand next to Sonny. Sonny rarely talked about emotions, especially his own, but to also talk about fear was a level Ray never thought he’d hear from the Texan.

“We’ve had to save him twice. We don’t control Mother Nature and we don’t control faulty parts on helos,” Sonny said as he resumed walking.

“and we don’t control the trucks,” Ray tried to reason.

Ray and Sonny could hear their teammates long before they got to Clay’s room. It didn’t matter who was saying what, it was all the same thing just in different words.

“Hell no, we aren’t splitting up.”  
“You expect us to put him on a helo?”  
“You do know he almost died from that crash.”  
“If he goes on a helo, then we all go.”

The last comment made Ray flinch. He would never admit it, but he wasn’t ready to get back on a helo. He doubted any of the men were ready, especially the 3 that had already survived a helo crash. The two teammates walked into Clay’s room just as Eric held up his hands to quiet the men. When that didn’t work, he hollered, “Bravo, stand down!” It was the one command he knew would get the men quiet and focused back on him.

“Had you let me finish, you would have known that we aren’t splitting up. We’ve secured a helo for the 45 minute trip back to our base. It is just big enough for all of you, plus me, and the two pilots.” Eric was surprised when Clay was the next to speak, having not voiced his opinion earlier.

“I need you guys with me,” Clay managed to get out despite the lump in his throat. He would do anything to keep his team from having to admit their fear of getting on a helo again, but if they were forced due to his fear, the men wouldn’t think twice. He knew the first time up after the crash is the hardest. Trent, Jason and Clay all knew that. Eric knew the emotional sacrifice Clay was admitting, but he appreciated it. It calmed the men down and would make them “cowboy up” as Sonny puts it. Now, Clay has to figure out how the hell he is going to be able to get himself through a helo flight. He let the morphine take him away from the thoughts. The last thing he heard was, “I will be prepared.” It was Trents voice but an odd thing for him to say. Trent is always prepared, often to the point of being over prepared. The pain medication put Clay to sleep before he could figure out what the simple statement meant.

After a restless night, all 7 men plus Cerb, were exhausted. Eric had been woken time and time again by the guys as they got up to go check on Clay, as they said. He knew they were trying to distract themselves from the upcoming flight. He had never been in a helo crash so he couldn’t help his men, not like he wished he could. When Ray asked Jason how he got on his first helo after the crash that took Trent and Clay down with him, he simply said, “It wasn’t a choice.” Not the answer Ray was looking for. He was hoping to hear words of encouragement, be told it would all be okay.

Jason pushed Clay’s wheelchair out to the helo pad. As much as Clay hated riding in it, it was protocol. When it stopped halfway to the aircraft, Clay wasn’t surprised. He hadn’t expected to make it this far without stopping. Had the roles been reversed, he would have stopped too. All of the men were walking to the helo at a snails pace, especially Trent. 

When Eric reached the helo and turned around, he realized the gravity of what he was asking his men to do. Just 2 days after crashing at that very spot, he wanted them to put their trust in another helo. The men all knew it was an eventuality getting in a helo again. This was their only option if they didn’t want to be split up. A humvee ride was out of the question for Clay. 

These men were trained not to show fear and with Eric being in TOC versus in the field, he had never seen any of them frightened. Now, though, he could see it in their eyes, in their body language, in their darting looks to each other. Ray, Brock and Sonny got in first. They had only crashed 30 feet from the ground, not like the others in the first crash, but they were still nervous. Rays knee bounced as he waited for the others. Brock continuously stroked Cerb, murmuring they would all be alright. When Sonny realized the Kid wasn’t to the helo, and neither were his Boss or the teams Medic, he jumped out of the waiting helo and ran to his teammates. 

He stared into the eyes of the most fearless man he had ever known. A man who could instill fear with just a look. A man who never turns tail and runs. A man who will always run forward into the bullets, not away. A man who would lay down his life for his brothers. A man who would take a bullet if it meant completing the mission. Sonny didn’t’ see that man before him. Jason’s eyes were so wide, the whites were in stark contrast to his dark brown orbs. His eyes kept darting between Sonny and the helo. Sonny couldn’t bring himself to look into Clay’s face. He knew what he saw would crush him even more. 

“You know I’m not good with the ‘feels,’ but we will get through this. Clay is with me, Trent you are with Brock and Jason you are with Ray. Worry about the other man so you don’t focus on yourself. It’s gonna be alright.” Since the gig was up, the men didn’t have to try to hide how uneasy they were to get on the helo anymore. No one else except Eric and the two pilots would be on this aircraft so whatever they need to get through the flight to base, they could do with no judgment. If Sonny had to be the voice of reason, be the responsible one, be the proverbial rock, then he’d take that role just as seriously as any other role he had held during his time on Bravo. He just hoped what he said would actually help.

Clay was very weak from all he had been through the last several days. He faltered when he tried to stand up, but Sonny and Jason caught him, both ready while he tried to get out of the wheelchair. Sonny crawled into the helo and sat against the paneling. He outstretched his muscular arms and widened his legs so Jason could hand the Kid off to him. Sonny’s shoulder still ached as he pulled the Rookie to him. Clay whimpered from the movemement, but he didn’t want his team to think he wasn’t ready to leave the hospital and risk being separated. He laid his head on Sonny’s thigh, a place where he felt the most peaceful. Clay could let his guard down when he was with Sonny. He had had his head in Sonny’s lap numerous times before and he always felt a surge of relief when he did. 

Jason knew as team leader he had to get on, regardless of how he felt. Ray reached his arm out to help him inside. He felt another panic attack coming on. Ray could sense it and had him stick his head between his knees once he was seated. Upon seeing Jason hunched over, Trent hopped on with no assistance by Brock, who himself was still a bit unsteady. Trent saw his team leader in need and that became his priority. He didn’t even realize the helo had taken off after Eric got in. Trent pulled out a syringe and injected it into Jasons thigh. Jason looked up with questioning eyes, but as he felt himself start to feel overly relaxed, he knew Trent had given him a mild sedative. He was pissed he had done it without asking, but he knew in his mind he’d never had said yes. He leaned into Ray then rested his head on his number 2’s shoulder. Ray nodded as a quick thank you to Trent.

Trent could see Clay was still restless and Sonny was having a hard time keeping him still. Even though a helo was smoother and a shorter ride than a truck, laying on the floor of the bird in turbulence was still troublesome to an injured man. Sonny caught Trent’s eye then down to Clay, silently asking for the same help Trent had given their Boss. Clay still had an IV so he didn’t have to stick him. Clay didn’t even know he was even given any medicine. As the sedative took effect, Sonny pulled Clay up to a sitting position with Clay’s back to his chest, his head resting just under Sonny’s chin. Sonny wrapped him in a bear hug and was whispering something to Clay, but Trent doubted the youngest teammate could even hear him over the thudding of the helo blades. 

Once those two were taken care of, Trent didn’t have anyone to focus on and when he realized they were already in the air, his face paled. Both Brock and Ray reached out for him as he slumped back against the pilots seat. Brock put his arm around Trent pulling him in closer while Ray searched in the medic bag. While Brock got Trent to focus on him and not out the open side of the helo by putting his hand on Trents face and directing his gaze to him, Ray found another dose of sedative and with no hesitation, he injected the medicine into the medic’s thigh. Truth be told, Trent had packed 7 doses of the sedative just in case, one being specifically for a canine. He knew at least one of them would most likely need it, he just didn’t expect himself to. 

Eric looked over his group of men. They sure didn’t look like a tier one assault team in this moment. What he did see was a team that had been to hell and back more than once. He knew he’d never have another team like this one, both a curse and a blessing. He watched as Sonny cared for Clay. Sonny had one arm wrapped around Clay’s waist and the other holding Clay’s head against his chest. Eric knew moments like this had happened before but he had never been witness to it. By the time he got to his men after a mission, the moments were over. 

Jason was leaned up against Ray with a handful of Ray’s shirt in his fist. As the medicine kicked in, his grip lessened, but he didn’t move away from his number 2. Trent and Brock looked like they were both holding each other up. Brock had his forehead pressed up against Trents, one hand on the back of Trents head pulling him close and the other on Trents thigh to ground him, a funny term he thought as they flew through the air. It wasn’t until Cerb herself curled up between Brock and Clay did Eric closed his own eyes. He could bear the physical wounds of combat, but OCS hadn’t prepared him for the emotional wounds.

Lisa was outside waiting for the helo to land. As soon as it touched the ground safely, she was under the blades doing what she could for Bravo. She stared at the men in disbelief, not sure if their condition or their positions shocked her more. She caught Eric’s eye and the two smiled at each other, taking in the contentment while in a war zone. What most surprised the logistics specialist was the fact that Cerb was sleeping. In all her years working with the hair missile, she had never seen Cerb sleep other than in his kennel and especially not while away from base. Cerb had her snout on Sonny’s thigh, her back against Brock’s leg and her on Clay’s forearm as if to say it’s going to be alright. Lisa didn’t even try to snap a picture. It wasn’t a scene she would likely forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't feel like I ended this story as grandly as I had intended. It sounded so much more "final" in my head, like the reader knew the story had come to a close. I hope you all feel satisfied.  
> I definitely like writing chapters more than not, so if you all like this, let me know and I will continue. I already have quite a few stories written, just need fine tuning. Most are long stories that would be longer than this story. One I haven't finished, I just keep adding to. Had been worried to post until recently.


End file.
